Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED l STATES llitENTA OFFICE JOHN c. sTnATToN AND WILLIAMH. sTnATToN,or ivnLLvILLE, N. J.

. l IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLlNe-s.

Specilicntion forming part of Letters Patent No, 2073992, datedSeptember 10, '1878 application filed Jury 31, 181e. j

useful Improvements in Gar-Couplings; and we do hereby declare that thefollowing is a' full, clear, and exact description thereof, whichwill-enableothers skilled in the art to which it f appert-ains to makeand use the same, reference being had to .the accompanying drawings, andto letters of reference marked thereon, which ,form a part of thisspecification.

Our improvement relates to that kind of coupling for railway-cars inwhich a weighted tumbler is used in the draw-head to couple with thelink. The tumbler' is pivoted at its upper front end to the draw-head,and carries a jointed coupling part at its lower front end of suchconstruction and having such relation and connection t0 thetumbler-pivot as to cause it to force the tumbler backward and upwardupon the entrance of the link in coupling, whereby the weight of thetumbler brings back the jointed piece to effect the coupling and toallow said coupling-piece to be readily released from the binding actionof the link, when coupled, by allowing said tumbler to act flrstindependent of its coupling part to draw the latter vertically, and thento carry it up backward in the arc of a circle.

The draw-head has a double inclined abutment, the rear part of which isslotted to receive the jointed coupling part, while the front inclinedface of said abutment causes the link, in coupling, to strike and rideover it and against the front inclined side of the weighted tumbler, andnot the coupling part, and bear them both backward and upward, asstated.

The coupling part is jointed nearly in line with itsl front side, andthis causes the tumbler to act first slightly independent of thecoupling part to open from it and lift it vertically before commencingto carry it yupward and backward. The coupling part is jointed to thetumbler in a manner to form shoulders, so as to relieve its pivot-pin ofundue strain in the descent of the tumbler and its jointed part againstthe abutment.

The inclined back of the abutment allows theJink to be readilyuncoupled, and when the carsare under way the draft is upon the abut'-hold its jointed part down when coupled,and

to render it secure. By this construction we can use the ordinarycoupling-link andjaringlmouthed draw-heads, and thereby couple cars'ofdifferent heights by means of the ordinary crooked couplinglink.

A bar is pivoted upon the draw-head, so as to lie over the rear end ofthe tumbler in a position so that when the latter is raised to unlcouple the cars said bar will also ,be raised and held bythe tumbler inpsition to fall be-v This action of the hind it and holdy it up. holdingdevice is automatic.`

Referring tothe drawings, Figure 1 represents one of the draw-heads withmy improved coupler applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents a verticalsection of two draw-heads coupled together with our improved coupling;Fig. 3, a similar section with one of the coupling devices uncoupled.

The draw-head A is cast in one piece, as shown, or may be of anysuitable construction and secured in any suitable way to the carframe.

Within the mouth of the draw-head, and centrally located on its bottom,rises an abutment, B, inclining frontward and backward from its top, andprovided with a socket or groove, a, on its back, to receive and form asupport for the jointed part G of a tumbler, D, pivoted centrally at itsfront upper end, b, in they draw-head.

The tumbler is arranged in an opening in the top of the draw-head, andextends back from its pivot a suitable distance to give it the requiredweight at its rear end to keep it down in place when the cars are inmotion.'

When down its lower jointed part, C, extends within the link E, and iitsin the socket or groove of the abutment, so as to couple the link withsaid abutment. This coupling part C is jointed at its front corner orside to the tumbler, and in a vertical line, or nearly so,

ywith the pivot of said tumbler, so that the draft upon the jointed partis such as to re- 1ieve its pivot of all strain, and `allow the tum4bler to open, as it were, from said jointed part, and to lift it, firstvertically a little, and then carryT it backward and upward with it, andtherebyfree it entirely from the link and allow the latter to pass outover the inclined back of the abutment. By thisconstruction of jointedtumbler the uncoupling can be made when the cars are drawing orstanding, as the jointed part does not rise in the same arc as thetumbler, but is freed by it from the link. The draft upon the pivotedpart does not tend to raise the tumbler, but tends to keep it down andto render the coupling perfectly secure.

` The joint of the coupling part may be lnade in any suitable way. Thatshown, however, is well adapted for the purpose, and is formed by a in,c, on the jointed part entering a groove in the tumbler, and pivotedtherein at the upper front corner, so that when closed with the tumblerand theabutment its pivot will be relieved of strain byshoulders d onthe jointed part andcoincidng bearings of the tumbler. This constructionnot only relieves `the pivot of the draft-strain, but from the effectsof the falling of the tumbler and its jointed part against the abutment,whilejthe socket or groovedback of the latter serves also to brace andsupport the jointed part laterally.

The inclined front and back of the abutment allow of the free entranceand-withdrawalof the link in conpwlin g and uncoupling.` v

top of the draw-head in position to lie across the rear end of thetumbler, so that when the latter is raised the bar will also be liftedand held up against the side of the tumbler in position to fall behindit automatically and hold it up. Any suitable connection may be made foruncoupling the tumbler.

The bottom of the draw-head has a slot or opening back of theabutment-socket and ceincident therewith tol` prevent the Vpossibleclogging or choking at this point.

The front edge of the tumbler stands slightly inclined, when coupled, inan opposite direcl tion to the inclined front of the abutment, so

'that the link, striking the tumbler, will readily force it back andpass beneath its jointed part. Weclaimr y i l .i i In a car-coupling,the combination, with lthe draw-head, having a double inclined abutment,B, slotted on the back incline,ias1describcd, of the weighted tumblerDand its jointed coupling part C c, said tumbler being pivoted at itslupperfront end, b, and said .coupling part C jointed eccentrically tothelowerjfront corner of said tumbler, all constructed land adapted foruse substantially in the manner and for the purpose described. i i

In testimony that We cla-im the foregoingwc have affixed our signaturesin the presence of twowitnesses. i r 1 JOHN COOMBS STRATTON 1 WILLIAM'HARVEY STRATTON,

Witnesses: i f i GEORGE W. HENDERSON, l HENRY BISHOP.` i

